This 14 week course aims to provide students with no prior
knowledge of North Korea with a critical introduction to the
history, society and culture of one of the world’s most secretive
states. The course will cover the following areas: the emergence of
the North Korean state, the guerrilla background of Kim Il Sung,
the liberation period and the Korean War, North Korean political
and economic development 1953-91, North Korea after the collapse of
the Soviet Union, daily life in North Korea, the roots of the
economic problems, Juche ideology, the nuclear issue, North-South
relations since 1971, characterizing the North Korean state, North
Korean film and art, the issue of defectors, and problems in
studying North Korea. Students will be expected to keep up with
weekly readings and to contribute to class discussions. No prior
knowledge of the Korean language or Korean history and society is
required. However, those with no previous knowledge of Korean
history should read Korea's Twentieth-Century Odyssey: A
Short History by Michael Robinson. Pre-course reading is
The North Korean Revolution, 1945–1950 or Tyranny of
the Weak, North Korea and the World, 1950–1992 both by
Charles K. Armstrong.

Korea's Twentieth-Century Odyssey: A Short History
by Michael Robinson. Pre-course reading is The North Korean
Revolution, 1945–1950 or Tyranny of the Weak, North Korea
and the World, 1950–1992 both by
Charles K. Armstrong.